NAD Announces Settlement in Deaf Umpire Case

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the New Jersey State Baseball Umpires Association, Inc. (NJSBUA) and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) announced today that they had reached an amicable settlement in a lawsuit brought by Peter Rozynski, a deaf umpire, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The NJSBUA trains officials and provides baseball and softball umpires for high school games between NJSIAA member schools. Rozynski, who alleged that he was denied a sign language interpreter for certain courses required to become a certified umpire, has officiated high school softball games in New Jersey. The settlement is designed to insure that Rozynski has access to sign language interpreters at future NJSBUA and NJSIAA meetings.

Rozynski was represented by the National Association of the Deaf Law Center and the office of Clara R. Smit, Esq. The National Association of the Deaf Law Center is a national organization dedicated to safeguarding the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. Clara Smit is a private attorney who specializes in serving the deaf in New Jersey.